


The Best Gift Is Being Here With You

by HaloRocks1214



Category: Original Work
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Gift Giving, Hanging Out, Hobbies, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Siblings, national siblings day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 08:12:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18426558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaloRocks1214/pseuds/HaloRocks1214
Summary: Being as upfront as possible: Merek has no idea what he's doing.It's been about a couple years since he and his sister had finally made up after their god-knows-how-big-and-long argument. With the crushing guilt from those years in between, along with their mountains of emotional repression for different reasons, it's a long walk across an unstable bridge before either of them will even be halfway to getting it all out.With April 10th around the corner, and Ellen put on bed rest, maybe he can make a tiny effort to take a few more steps along that bridge and make it a little bit stronger in the process. How?By offering to watch and play her favorite things, obviously!(Oh, the box in his pocket? Maybe we can just forget about that)





	The Best Gift Is Being Here With You

_"What? Her birthday isn't for a couple of months."_

_"I know! I know, but last I heard this week isn't going very well for her."_

_"I know, I decided to pop in yesterday after I heard that the fight was more serious than we thought."_

_"Yeah, so think how much better she would feel if you came back with something to make her feel better!"_

_"With bruises like hers, the only thing she needs is rest and good painkillers."_

_A sigh was heard, "Merek, you wanna know why I brought this up?"_

_"Well, considering you're so insistent, I might as well hear it."_

_"Dude, National Siblings Day is in a few days. It's that not big of a holiday, but I'm sure it can be if you do something with it."_

Standing outside the door to his sister's house, he comes to the conclusion that he actually prefers when his team is dumb.

Because when they're smart, things like _this_ end up happening.

\---

Ellen shut the door behind him as he looked around. He's pretty sure her family is out at the park so the house is theirs for the time being. He wasn't sure how long he would be here, but he might as well be prepared for anything. That anything includes the tiny gift he found at the store yesterday. It wasn't the most _expensive_ thing, but from what he's learned about Ellen, he thinks she'll feel that way about it anyway.

"Feel free to do more than stare at the walls, dude," Ellen stated as she walked past him to go to the family/living area, "I did invite you into the _entire_ house after all."

When Ellen sat down on the couch she ended up wincing. Before Merek could point it out, Ellen continued with a question, "So, uh, what's the dealio? Weren't you here a week ago?" 

Merek metaphorically jumped out of his thoughts at her question, "Well..." Crap, quickly, think like Ellen and come up with some bullshit, "My day is free, and with Aid out on business and you, um, _confined,_ I figured I could maybe, possibly, hang out?"

Ellen squinted her eyes in slight disbelief, before rolling her eyes and smiling, "Your idiots running you rampant, I take it?"

Merek blinked in shock. Not exactly a _lie_ (his team is great, but goddamn were they dense sometimes), but it wasn't the real reason either. Merek sighed and smiled. Might as well use this excuse anyway, "Yeah, if I spend one more minute around them I might be liable to get fired for what I'd do to them."

The laugh Ellen let out made Merek feel warm inside.

But the groan she let out afterward kind of killed it. Again, she started talking before he could, "So then," she started as Merek walked over to sit down next to her, "anything you feel would be a good time killer to prevent you from going and committing second-degree murder?" 

Merek thought about it. He was going to mention the box in his pocket, but the corners on the object started uncomfortably poking him. Alright, not that then, "Um... I've noticed you're into a lot of... 'things'. Anything you want to show me? TV shows? Games? Books?"

Ellen took a moment to register his offer. Her grin ended up being from ear to ear.

Keeping the small gift deep in his pocket hidden from her, Merek thinks he's earned some points for this. 

\---

"Huh, I guess that weapon is pretty cool. Didn't she name it?"

"Crescent Rose!"

"Ah, that's right-"

"Sshhhh! Look, here's her big sister! She reminds me of Aid a lot and I'm hoping you'll see it too."

\---

"For a rescue group, those sure are some flashy, attention-grabbing vehicles."

"C' mon Merek, if you had the resources and abilities to make ships like that I'm sure you'd design them however you'd like too."

"Well, I mean... yeah, alright, that's fair."

"... You know, I actually have a figurine of Five."

"Oh, do you? Hmm, maybe I should get one."

"I'd personally suggest One for you myself."

\---

"I can't believe you picked _him_ of all characters. And you're good at him too!"

"What, just because I have a stick up my ass doesn't mean I can't be good?"

"That's not the point! You're good with _Genji!_ I don't think you realize what that means in the community!"

"Well, from what I've heard you don't have any room to talk, Mrs. 'I always pick the ones that use a bow and arrow'."

Ellen's incoherent grumbling was cute before she kept headshotting him every time they crossed paths.

\---

"... Did his tears push him through the ground?"

"Yeah, I know it's for comedy but honestly, he could use them as an effective weapon if he really tried."

"So his quirk would be... crying?"

"Yup."

\---

"That feeling when your microscopic body parts have a more interesting love life than yourself."

The only reason he didn't smack her was because of her injuries.

\---

"God these villains are just... awful."

"Oh, I know, that's why we have to take them down."

"Yeah, I know, so why are you working at a convenience store right now?"

"Someone has to pay for the team's weapons, Merek!"

\---

"What did I say about kicking my ass at games you just picked up!"

Merek laughed as her character flew off the screen again.

Her foot was in his face in an attempt to stop him, "What is that saying you usually say? 'Square up'?"

Ellen literally screamed.

\---

"This is certainly... something."

"Let loose, Merek! You don't want to be a dad in real life, let alone get as good looking as these guys! You should get more into it, let your fantasy run wild~"

Alright, now he has to smack her.

\---

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said he was Midoriya if he were a hot dad."

"I know, right?! I saw that line on the internet and died. It works so well for him!"

"No kidding..."

\---

"You sure you want to watch this, Merek?"

"Why not? It's Disney, what's wrong with it?"

After seeing the older brother die, Merek wonders why he still doesn't listen to her.

\---

Both yawned at the same time.

Merek scratched the back of his head, "I need to get up and walk. Do you need a refill?"

Stretching her neck, Ellen smiled, "Yes I do. Thank you for offering to get me one."

Standing up, Merek grabbed their cups and walked towards the kitchen behind them. Unbeknownst to him, something fell out of his pocket onto the couch. Ellen noticed, of course, and went to grab it. It was a small box, one for jewelry, usually, but why did Merek have one? Especially at a time like this?

"Merek... what's this?"

Turning back around, Merek's eyes widened in an emotion similar to fear when he saw Ellen holding the thing he got the day before. For a moment, time stopped, and Merek's breath was stuck somewhere between being too fast and not working at all. The only thing he could do was watch in agony as she flicked her vision back and forth between him and it before deducing 'it' was for her and opened the box. The gasp Merek heard made him flinch.

She was very much looking at the necklace he found. It was simple, really: a guy and a girl hugging. The girl was shorter than the guy, and the necklace mostly showed her back as she was facing away to hug the man. Both were smiling at each other and wrapped in rope. The girl was golden and the guy was silver while the rope was copper. There was some generic metal dyed white surrounding the two figures in the shape of a ribbon. The inscription stated "Bonds as Tight as Knots".

When he found it at the store he was worried it was a romantic gesture. Before he walked away from it, he saw a family of four leaving. Two parents, two children, all smiling happily at each other. The older kid, who was male, put something around the younger kid's (who was not male) neck. He heard the oldest man compliment them about their sibling camaraderie or whatnot. It was the necklace he was about to walk away from.

He considered wrapping the box in some kind of paper, but even if he wasn't a mess of emotions about the thing he'd probably think it'd be too much anyway.

Ellen looked back at him, astonished, "What's this for, Merek?"

Merek blinked a few times before taking a deep breath to calm himself. Welp, there was no beating around the bush now, he thought as he slowly wandered over to where he was sitting before, cups forgotten on the table a few feet away. As he sat back down, he let out a small "sorry" when he heard his sister say "ow". Leaning back, Merek clasped his hands together and started talking carefully to avoid possible stutters or broken words. 

This explanation is very important after all, "Today is... National Siblings Day, which I'm sure you've heard of. I know with everything that's happened, it might be difficult for you to- um- consider me one- us as that, but... I thought it could work, you know? I remembered vaguely that you like things like this, and, well..."

It was a few moments of painful silence when Merek decided to himself, 'Fuck, I messed up, didn't I?' Right before he could apologize, and make an attempt to leave, Ellen put her hand on his knee- has it been bouncing the entire time?- when she spoke gently.

"Merek, can you look at me?"

Time to die. Merek inhaled once more as he turned his body. His eyes were closed as he did it, so he was genuinely caught off guard when Ellen leaped forward into his arms and squeezed him oh so gently so she wouldn't aggravate her injuries. After a brief moment of panic, Merek thought back to what his friend told him to do when this happened. He slowly closed his arms around her and squeezed back as hard as she squeezed him, closing his eyes once more to take in the moment.

Things like this make them feel even more guilty for letting that wedge between them get so big, but during the moment in question, all they felt was pure bliss and love.

After being glued together for what felt like an eternity, they pulled apart and looked each other in the eyes. The small tears turned into small tracks down their cheeks, but they both quickly wiped them away before it could get worse (emotional repression is still a bitch). Finally, they looked at each other's eyes once more, Ellen saying what needed to be said.

"The best gift you can give is to just be here with me," she guided his arms to the necklace and then led them to her neck, "but this is probably a close second."

Merek clasped the gift around her neck.

Eventually, Merek would give her more painkillers. Despite her denial, Merek could tell it was getting worse every time she tensed in pain when he even remotely adjusted his position. 30 minutes after, she would get drowsy and lean into him without realizing. He may have decided, through lots of thinking, to put his arm around her shoulders, but only he would know that for the time being.

After an hour, she was out like a light. With the credits of their latest movie rolling softly in the background, Merek watched his sister fondly. She was slightly drooling, which only slightly annoyed him, and her hair was becoming loose, some strands falling over her face. He would brush them out of the way, of course. A few minutes of staring later, Merek felt and heard himself yawn his largest yawn that night. 

Eh, it wouldn't hurt to get some sleep along with his sis, right? His work has been pretty draining as well. Placing his head on hers and closing his eyes, he figured it would be good for both of them if they got a little bit more shut-eye than normal.

He was awful at the older brother thing for a while.

But, if he's learned anything from Ellen, it's that anyone who works hard enough for it can be redeemed.

Even him.

**Author's Note:**

> happy national siblings day! i was planning on drawing something but my app for art sucks ass tonight so i decided to come here! i might make something small and add it to this fic in the future but thats not a guarantee
> 
> ps, if you want to, feel free to guess what they were watching and playing! some are more obvious than others lol
> 
> please let me know of any typos that interrupt your reading! feel free to give criticism but please be kind when you do so!
> 
> lf you wish to scream at me here's my [tumblr](https://halorocks1214.tumblr.com/)


End file.
